imgui
Cython-based Python bindings for dear imgui
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need a lightweight, immediate-mode GUI for games, tools, or real-time applications and are willing to pair it with a rendering backend. The pre-built wheels make installation straightforward on common platforms. However, the aging maintenance status (last release 2023-04-19) means you should verify that the feature set and bug fixes meet your needs before committing to a production project. No known security vulnerabilities.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a rendering backend integration (pygame, GLFW3, SDL2, Cocos2d, or pyglet) to display windows; install with extras like `pip install imgui[pygame]` for a specific backend.
- Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; pre-built binaries available for major platforms and Python versions (3.6–3.11), but compilation from source may be required in niche environments.
- Last release was in April 2023; repository remains active but maintenance is aging.
License · maintenance · safety
BSD (permissive) — BSD license is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; no copyleft obligations.
last release 2023-04-19 (1213 days) · last repo commit 2025-03-23 · 1,541 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 110,264 downloads/mo, #12,476 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install imgui
import imgui
import imgui.core
# In your render loop:
imgui.new_frame()
if imgui.begin_window("Example"):
imgui.text("Hello, ImGui!")
imgui.end()
imgui.end_frame()- Whether the majority of core DearImGui 1.82 widgets mentioned in the description are fully functional and production-ready.
- Current state of missing low-level API elements and complex widgets (e.g., plots) and whether they are actively being added.
- Compatibility and testing status with PyPy implementations beyond the stated support since release 2.0.
What it is and what it does
imgui is a Python wrapper around the dear imgui C++ library, a lightweight immediate-mode GUI toolkit designed for interactive applications, games, and tools. It provides bindings to imgui's core widgets and rendering pipeline, allowing developers to build responsive, frame-based UIs without the overhead of traditional retained-mode GUI frameworks. The package ships as pre-compiled wheels for Windows, macOS, and Linux across multiple Python versions (3.6–3.11), eliminating compilation in most cases.
The library is intended for applications that need fast, iterative UI rendering—particularly games, visualization tools, and real-time editors. It requires a rendering backend (pygame, GLFW3, SDL2, Cocos2d, or pyglet) to display output. The project supports the majority of DearImGui 1.82 functionality, though some low-level APIs and complex widgets remain unmapped. With no runtime dependencies and permissive BSD licensing, it integrates easily into existing projects.
Use it for
- Building debug overlays and in-game menus for games or interactive applications.
- Creating lightweight data visualization and monitoring dashboards with real-time updates.
- Rapid prototyping of tool UIs for graphics, audio, or scientific applications.
- Implementing immediate-mode UI for 3D editors or simulation software.
- Adding configuration and parameter-tuning interfaces to command-line or headless tools.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need a lightweight, immediate-mode GUI for games, tools, or real-time applications and are willing to pair it with a rendering backend.
The pre-built wheels make installation straightforward on common platforms. However, the aging maintenance status (last release 2023-04-19) means you should verify that the feature set and bug fixes meet your needs before committing to a production project. No known security vulnerabilities.
Install
imgui on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; pre-built binaries available for major platforms and Python versions (3.6–3.11), but compilation from source may be required in niche environments. Last release was in April 2023; repository remains active but maintenance is aging.
Requires a rendering backend integration (pygame, GLFW3, SDL2, Cocos2d, or pyglet) to display windows; install with extras like `pip install imgui[pygame]` for a specific backend.
License in practice
BSD license is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; no copyleft obligations.
Quickstart
pip install imgui
import imgui
import imgui.core
# In your render loop:
imgui.new_frame()
if imgui.begin_window("Example"):
imgui.text("Hello, ImGui!")
imgui.end()
imgui.end_frame()Verify before relying
- Whether the majority of core DearImGui 1.82 widgets mentioned in the description are fully functional and production-ready.
- Current state of missing low-level API elements and complex widgets (e.g., plots) and whether they are actively being added.
- Compatibility and testing status with PyPy implementations beyond the stated support since release 2.0.
Package facts
| License | BSD permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Aging 1,213 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 110,264 / month, #12,476 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Intended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseOperating System :: MacOS :: MacOS XOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsOperating System :: POSIX :: LinuxProgramming Language :: CythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonTopic :: Games/Entertainment |
Evidence: imgui-2.0.0-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_5_i686.manylinux1_i686.manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux2014_i686.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_1_i686.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_1_x86_64.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp310-cp310-win32.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_5_i686.manylinux1_i686.manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux2014_i686.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_1_i686.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_1_x86_64.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp311-cp311-win32.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp36-cp36m-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp36-cp36m-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp36-cp36m-manylinux_2_5_i686.manylinux1_i686.manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux2014_i686.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp36-cp36m-musllinux_1_1_i686.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp36-cp36m-musllinux_1_1_x86_64.whl; imgui-2.0.0-cp36-cp36m-win32.whl
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